Congratulations on your engagement! The Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows-Saint Anthony rejoices and prays with you as you prepare for marriage. The parish clergy and staff hope that your engagement will be a time of deeper prayer and mutual dialog on the issues that will help you respond with faith and maturity to this great vocation.
The following guidelines have been prepared to assist you through this important time of preparation. Do not hesitate to contact the parish office if you have any questions or concerns about this process. We will do all we possibly can to make your wedding a sacred and joyful celebration.
An Overview of the Process
Catholic Parishes are required to follow the Common Policy for Marriage Preparation established by the Bishops of New Jersey. This involves a commitment of time for pastoral and shared preparation sessions that are designed to establish your freedom to marry and to provide those tools to facilitate your deeper reflection and discussion of important aspects of Christian marriage.
Pastoral Sessions are comprised of the initial contact made to schedule the wedding, a number of meetings with priest or deacon at the parish office, and the wedding rehearsal.
Shared preparation sessions are meetings with a community based team of married couples and clergy sharing their lived experience of marriage and ministering to married couples.
You can find extensive information on planning your wedding, including a timeline, information on marriage preparation programs (such as
Precana and
Engaged Encounter), and a list of the documents you will need, on the
Diocese of Trenton website.